


A Rose By Any Other Name

by Musical_Skater



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: F/M, Maybe - Freeform, Maybe I should do every pair, RING AROUND THE ANGST CIRCLE, Soulmates AU, at some point if I continued with this, idk yet, jlaire, my children, shitty thinking emoji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29313177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musical_Skater/pseuds/Musical_Skater
Summary: In a world where you're born with a marking showcasing the passion of your soulmate, it's is a touchy subject for Jim Lake. When your mom has only ever been heartbroken from her's, you become weary rather easily.But when your crush seemingly lines up perfectly with the Shakespeare marking on your wrist, having a little bit of hope isn't bad.Right?
Relationships: Barbara Lake/Walter Strickler | Stricklander, Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez, idk yet - Relationship, maybe more? - Relationship
Comments: 22
Kudos: 36





	1. Skull, Roses, and Shakespeare Quotes

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO MY CHILDREN! How are y'all today? I hope y'all are doing well.
> 
> I want to give a big thanks to the wonderful creature that is Bryar for letting me bounce some ideas for this off on them! It helped quite a bit, honestly, and I don't think I would have finished this without throwing ideas at her and seeing which ones stuck lol
> 
> ALSO! I'm posting this as a separate thing instead of just putting it with the rest of my one-shots because I made up a whole goddamn UNIVERSE for this and I might just do more with this because of that. Maybe one more chapter or two. Maybe one from Claire's point of view and call it good lol
> 
> ANYWAY! Much love, mates! I hope you enjoy this and much love!

_I heard many stories since I was young about soulmates. Especially that fact that all because someone is your soulmate, doesn't mean that it'll always end beautifully._

_That idea forms itself when you're the son of a woman with not just one soulmate marking, but two._

_My dad was meant for her. It proves itself by how she had a depiction of a mechanical gear floating under a small circle of water, but it was obvious he wasn't the_ only _one for her. She had another soulmate based on how she had a globe on her opposite wrist that had the word "change" curving around the bottom of it._

_But it was even more evident when my father left._

I swallowed hard as I adjusted the strap of my school bag across my chest.

_Even though it was apparent she was brought down this path for a reason, it made me worry a lot about my own. It made me think about how maybe there's a chance I would never have a joyful experience with mine. It made me wonder if soulmates were truly there to make you happy or just cause a significant impact on your life and leave._

I glanced down to my right wrist where a small speck of black and brown could be seen underneath my jacket sleeve.

_It frightened me more than I was willing to admit, honestly._

I let out a soft sigh as I adjusted my jacket sleeve so I could see the image hiding away underneath it. Looking up toward me was my marking that consisted of a white jawless skull, a red rose, and a brown banner underneath it with black lettering. The words "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" staring back at me before I rolled my sleeve down once more.

_I was told since I was young that I was lucky. That my marking didn't just have a word-based hint, but also one that was pretty understandable after a few google searching when I got older. Whoever it was, our first real conversation will have to do with Shakespeare. Not just any play or poem from him though, but Romeo and Juliet._

_Kinda ironic though. Having a soulmate marking based on a story of two pre-teens star-crossed lovers that die in the end. A beautiful love story to have your real-life one based on, huh?_

I chuckled to myself as I slipped my hands into my jacket's pockets.

_Let's just say though, I'm not looking forward to meeting their parents if that's the point of it all._

_It did make me think a lot though. My marking is based on my soulmate's passions. Whatever they care about most is depicted on my skin. From what I can get from it though, it was theater based. The Shakespeare quote gave that bit away to me at the very least. The skull and the rose always made me curious though. Like was it something that they were fascinated with? Life and death? Or was it a metaphor of some kind? Maybe it was an aesthetic thing?_

_Honestly, I really hope it's an aesthetic thing. Because if it is, I know who_ exactly _my marking is tied to and I would probably lose my mind in reply to it._

I glanced to my left as I rounded a corner and saw a familiar mix of black, navy blue, and purple in the distance. A small dash of link purple-ish pink being shown slightly as the figure was hanging posters on the wall.

_Speak of the devil._

My mouth went dry as I just stood at the corner as the one captivating my mind smiled at herself triumphantly before pinning another poster to the board she was standing in front of.

_The one and only_ _Claire Nuñez._

_I had a crush on her from the moment I saw her when we were freshmen. Who couldn't, honestly? She was radiant. She held this energy about her that could captivate anyone, really. Just one glance and she could easily wrap you around her finger if she truly desired._

_At least, that's what she did to me._

_Despite the idea of having a soulmate out there somewhere, I found myself falling for the actress without a second thought. How could I not? She was everything you could really ask for. Yeah, she's pretty, but she's also wicked smart. She's not the top of our class for nothing, after all. She's also confident and witty. I haven't really_ spoken _to her yet, but I've heard some of her sly comments she's had with some of her friends. It makes sense, really. Having brains like_ that _with friends like Mary and Darci mean you've gotta be on the top of your game with replies._

I instinctively pulled my hands out of my pockets and rolled up my right sleeve once more. The play quote glaring up at me as I lifted my gaze to see Claire still working on probably making a board filled with posters at this point.

_But the mixture of just how_ cool _she was and how dreadful my mom's history of soulmates was enough to make me hesitate ever speaking to the punk. She was out of my league. Even_ Toby _made that idea evident when we first saw each other's markings. He and I would often make jokes saying someone like Logan or even_ Steve _had a better chance of her being_ their _soulmates instead of mine._

I slipped my hands back into my jacket pockets as I started making my way down the hallway once more.

_I was rather okay with it honestly. We were in separate worlds, after all. She was from the_ _Nuñez family. Daughter of a high achieving councilwoman and an engineer. She was popular with plenty of friends and more talents than I had digits to count. She's this hardcore punk as well! Someone that demands shit from the world instead of the other way around! Someone that can take this place by storm if she really wanted to!_

I felt a sigh release itself from me as I neared the girl.

_And I'm just Jim. A guy wanting a bit more adventure in his life and a lot of anxiety issues. A guy that didn't care for popularity despite my one and only friend is obsessed with it. I'm the son of a doctor, sure, but that didn't mean her brains were carried down to me. I was an average student. B's and C's were my friends with an A every now and again if I really tried, but I never truly bothered._

_Sometimes I start to think that_ that _is the reason the Romeo and Juliet quote will forever be on my arm. That the two of us were meant to be no matter how different we truly were._

_But I doubt that._

"Shit." I heard a voice hiss out the word as the sound of papers falling to the floor could be heard. I glanced to my left to see that Claire had dropped whatever posters she was carrying on the floor somehow and had started picking them up almost instantly. I hesitated for a moment before glancing down to my marking once more.

_But a guy can hope, right?_

I made my way a little bit closer to the mess and knelt down to help her out with collecting the posters. I glanced over toward Claire to see her shooting me an appreciative smile as she seemed to have gathered all the ones at her feet as I continued to pick up the few lost posters.

"Thanks." She rose to her feet with ease and I followed suit when I grabbed the last one off the floor. "Most people just keep walking." I gave her a nervous smile before handing my small makeshift pile toward her.

"N-No big deal." Claire shuffled the posters together as she shot me another smile.

"Big deal, actually. As I said, anyone else would have just kept walking." Her smile widened as she now held the posters close to her chest as if she was going to drop them again. "So seriously, thank you. It means a lot." I felt a blush take over my face a little as I brought my right hand up to scratch the back of my neck nervously.

"Seriously though, it was no big deal. It wasn't out of my way or anything." I guess my actions though caught her attention as a curious gleam appeared in the Latina's deep hazel eyes.

"Is that your soulmate marking?"

_FUCK!_

I nodded as I instinctively swallowed hard in reply.

"May I?" She adjusted her posters so they were resting against her right hip in her right arm as I just silently dropped my right arm down from where I had it and presented my marking toward her. I watched anxiously as a wonder-filled look took over the punk's face as her left hand placed itself under my wrist as if to help support it.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," My eyes widened as she continued on with the line. "So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title."

"You know it?" I felt dumb for asking the question as she seemed to just _quote the damn thing_ from memory, but the smile she rewarded me with was enough for me to stop mentally smacking myself almost instantly.

"Yeah, actually. It's the reason I'm putting up posters, actually." She dropped her hand from around my wrist so she could gesture toward the poster wall she had created beside us. I looked toward her creation to see three lines will with posters. Each one is the exact same audition notice for the school play.

_The play Romeo and Juliet._

I swallowed hard as my right arm went limp to my side.

_This is all falling into place, isn't it? This isn't real, right? Right?_

"Oh, cool." I gave her another nervous smile before a small chuckle escaped me. "Sorry, I'm not the biggest into theater. I did some research on the quote and knew it was from Shakespeare but not much more beyond that."

"That's fine. Everyone's got their interest. Our markings wouldn't be very helpful if everyone's was the same, after all." She giggled a little to herself and I felt my heart nearly stop within my chest.

_Holy shit that was adorable. How can someone looked as if they can take your ass down if they really wanted to be adorable in the same breath? This isn't fair._

"I've done some research on mine, after all. I would show you in reply to you showing mine, but it's kinda in a hard spot." I just tilted my head a little as Claire continued. "It's on my back." My eyes widened a little bit as I gave her an understanding nod.

"Completely understandable, yup. Totally." I felt like a fool as Claire just gave me an entertained smile.

"You really are something different, huh?" I just gave her a nervous smile in reply as I slipped my hands back into my jacket pockets.

"Oh, you have no idea."

"That's cool though." She adjusted the posters in her arms so they were sitting against her chest once more. "I like different anyway." I felt a small blush take over my face as she just continued on like she didn't just say that so nonchalantly. "You're name's Jim, right? We have history class together."

"You know my name?"

"Of course I know your name." Her smile just widened as she held the posters closer to her. "We even have gym together, ironically." I couldn't help but smile at the pun the girl made as she released a small laugh to herself. "Mix in that and the fact that Strickler is a little harsh on you, it's kinda hard no to know your name."

"Sorry, I guess I'm just used to flying under the radar." I gave her a nervous smile as she just replied as if it was nothing.

"No big deal. I completely understand. Honestly, there are times I wish I could." We shared a small laugh as the first warning bell rang. "I guess the bell tolls for the weary, huh?" I gave her a small nod as she unwrapped her right hand from where she had it around the posters before reaching out and placing her hand on my left shoulder. "Don't be a stranger, alright, Lake?"

"Definitely. Wouldn't want anything else, Nuñez." She shot me a large smile before seemingly turning so she could make her way toward her first class of the day before she suddenly stopped and turned her attention toward me once more.

"Hey, do you like mechanics by any chance?" I felt my heart skip a beat within my chest as my mouth felt as if I sucking on cotton balls at this point.

"Y-Yeah, actually. I've had my hands in toolboxes before I could walk, really." She gave me this breathtaking smile in reply as I gave her a curious look in reply. "B-But why do you ask?"

"No reason." She brought the posters closer to her chest as her smile only widened in reply. A realization seemingly appearing in her eyes as she just seemed purely joyous within that moment. "Just that I think we're going to see a _lot_ more of each other." I felt a blush take over my face as the bell rang telling us to get moving toward our classes. Without skipping a beat, Claire gave me a small wave and a smile before giving me her farewell. "Nice meeting you, S.M." I gave her a confused look as she turned and made her way down the hallway.

_S.M? What's that supposed to mean?_

I felt my eyes widen suddenly as she glanced over her shoulder and gave me a small wave.

_Soulmate._ _Claire Nuñez was my soulmate._

I gave her a small wave in reply as a dopey smile took over my face.

_Oh, Tobes won't_ believe _this one._


	2. The Game Just Begun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short but loving new update for you guys! I know it's not much, but I wanted to give you guys something as I'm writing between classes. I hope you guys enjoy this!
> 
> Much love, mates!

"You're joking."

"No!" Toby gave me a disbelievable look as I rolled up the sleeves of my jacket. "Why would I be joking about this, Tobes?"

"I have no clue! But do you expect me to believe the fact that you just _walked up_ to the girl you've been gushing about since we were _freshman_ and just talk to her and give her a hand?" Toby gave me a skeptical look as a small chuckle was starting to escape him. "Dude, you would start babbling like a fucking _dork_ at the mere thought of her being at another one of the hospital's charity events and stuff." I felt my face flush as I gave him a half-hearted glare in reply. "What? Am I wrong? I distinctively remember a certain lover boy gushing about the blue hair streaked punk girl in a pink dress dancing to Papa Skull."

"Bite me."

"Why would I need to when Claire seemingly is made to?" I nearly choked on the breath I suddenly took as I started to cough in response.

"God christ you're going to kill me."

"Before you even get a date with your soulmate?" Toby just chuckled in reply as he slapped his hand onto my back, only causing the coughing to worsen. "That's one hell of a way to go, mind you. Dying from choking on your own air while thinking of your soulmate? You would be the first to succeed in it honestly." My coughs died down as I gave Toby a glare in reply.

"Fuck you."

"I would say what came to mind, but just saying biting is her job caused that reaction? I don't think saying it with this would be very bright of me. Nuñez might kill me before even knowing my _name_." My eyes only widened as I realized what exactly the smaller teen was suggesting. My face only flushing as I had the sudden desire to hide away in my jacket and never come out again.

"You're going to kill me, Tobes. Shut up."

"What's weird though," I gave Toby a curious look as a more serious tone took over his voice. "How did she even knew you existed? It's not like we talk in class much or anything besides one another. Not like we're rather popular either despite how many times I've tried to change that for us." I shrugged a little bit as I just adjusted the strap on my bag.

"She just said that we have a few classes together. Why would she not know me at that point?" I gave Toby a confused look as we started heading toward Strickler's class together. "Why? Do you think there's something more or something?" My best friend only gave me a smirk as his voice came out in a low whisper as we turned the corner not too far away from our history class.

"I'm starting to think your little soulmate might have had a little crush on you herself." I felt even more confused as it seemed to be that Toby was trying to add one and one together to get fish.

"What in the hell are you talking about, Tobes?"

"Do you know anything about her marking?

"Besides that it's mechanics-based? Not much. Why?"

"I'm just saying," Toby gave me a smirk as we turned to enter our history class. "She sounded a bit hopeful that she was right on you being her S.M." I stopped suddenly as I looked over toward Claire's desk to see she was seemingly waiting for me to enter. My attention completely being engulfed with her as my heart fluttered in my chest.

_Hopeful? For me to be her soulmate?_

I felt a soft smile engulf my face as my heart skipped a beat.

_If only that was true._

* * *

"You met him? You've _gotta_ be pulling my leg, C-Bomb!" I just smiled as I continued sketching in my history notebook. A small sloppy sketch of an image that has been burnt into my mind since first thing this morning. "When do I get to inspect him for ya? Even if he's your S.M, I _need_ to make sure he's good enough for you." I just rolled my eyes at Mary's comment as I just continued shading the small rose part of the graphite sketch.

_Looks nothing like the original, but it'll do._

My smile widened a little as I looked over the nearly finished project. A showcasing of a very poorly redone version of Jim's soulmate marking staring up at me. It wasn't as striking as he was when I first saw it, but it'll do until I can see it again. The image has been floating around my mind for what felt like years. The seemingly Hamlet-inspired skull with what was my favorite line in all of Shakespeare scrawled under it in sharp feather pen inspired calligraphy being the main two pieces that stuck me deep within my core as I laid my pencil down and smiled at Mary.

_But it really shouldn't be having this big of an effect on me, right?_

"So? Do I know him? What's he like? What's his name? Is he a theater nerd like you? That would be cool! We could finally have enough guys for once!"

"First, yes, you know him. We actually have this class with him. Two, I don't know much about him yet, but he's always been a sweet guy from what I've seen." A felt a smirk appear on my face as I decided to play a little game with Mary's curiosity. "And three? How about you try to guess?" A spark of curiosity took over Mary as she started scanning the room with a determined gleam in her eyes.

"Bet. Okay. Is it Logan?"

"Nope."

"Seamus?"

"Colder."

"Please tell me it's not Steve." I gave her a quirked eyebrow in reply as I crossed my arms over my chest defensively.

"Do you think I would be as calm as I am right now if it was _Steve_ of all people?" Mary blinked for a second before giving me a soft reply.

"True." She looked back over the classroom that was slowly filling with students before turning her attention toward me again. "Eli?"

"Would it help if I told you _where_ his marking is?" Mary gave me an ecstatic smile as she nearly slammed her hands onto her desk.

" _Yes!_ Give!" I just laughed in reply to her eagerness as I unfolded my arms and rolled up the sleeves to my blazer. My hand wrapping around my forearm, right above my wrist where I knew Jim's marking was.

"Right here."

"So someone with a jacket, more than likely, huh?" I nodded my head as I peaked toward the door. Already knowing that the boy in question wasn't even in the room yet as she tried her best to spew out names.

But her voice went silent to me as I saw him enter the room.

_I would never admit it out loud to anyone, but I had a small crush on the blue-eyed boy since I first moved to Arcadia. He was the bashful son of a doctor that my mother teasingly said that if I would have better luck ending up with him than finding my soulmate._

_But despite having always had faith in my marking, much unlike my mother, I felt somehow okay with the idea in question._

_I still remember how he looked the first time I saw him. His neatly combed hair that seemed to bother him more than the oversized black blazer he was wearing. An electric blue button-down that was only a few shades lighter than his eyes popping out around his collar was matched with a pitch-black tie to seemingly tie the shirt to the rest of his dark suit. His skin was pale but not in a sickening way with the slight blush I could make out despite the dark lighting in the crowded hospital cafeteria._

My smile only widened as blue eyes met mine before I saw a familiar soft smile being sent toward me.

_A rather unique setting for unknowingly meeting your soulmate._

I watched as Jim scanned the room a little before walking up toward my desk that was sitting not too far away from the front door.

_But I would never change meeting him for anything else._

"Hi." I couldn't help but giggle a little at the gentleness that resided in his voice.

"Hi to you too." He gave me a lopsided grin that I always thought was probably the most endearing feature of the taller boy but was most definitely a lot more addictive now than it ever was before. He looked down toward his feet for a second, the normal bashfulness that was Jim Lake Junior coming back into full swing as I could only smile like a fool in reply.

_This is my soulmate. An anxious bashful fool who I wouldn't change for the whole world, honestly._

"To your seats, everyone." I watched as Jim visibly jumped at Strickler's sudden words.

"Talk to you in a little bit?" I nodded my head as my smile could only widen in reply.

"Definitely."

" _Mr. Lake._ "

"On it! Sorry." Jim jumped a little bit before pulling away from our conversation with a shy smile and made his way to his desk at the opposite side of the room by the window. My eyes followed him as he just gave me a small wave that I reciprocated with ease.

"No fucking way." I looked over toward Mary who now had her jaw dropped nearly to the top of her chest. I just gave her an uneven grin as I went back to the drawing I was doing before. My pencil twirling between my fingers before coming to a rest between my thumb and index.

"Game over, I guess." I gave her a smirk as I turned my attention toward Mr. Strickler who went on to present the next lesson to the class.

I turned my head slightly so I could look over toward where Jim was sitting. A large sloppy grin taking over the pale boy's face as he seemed ready to take on anything at that moment.

_Good thing for me though. The game is just beginning._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update because I felt like writing and now my brain is kinda dead so here you guys go I hope you enjoy okay BYEEEEE!

I watched with a smile as Mary, Shannon, and I sat on the bleachers as we normally would together. Their attentions were on something one was showing the other on their phone, but mine was very much elsewhere.

"Come on, Tobes. You can do it! Just gotta beat what you did before." My smile widened as I watched Jim encourage his best friend the best he could. The shorter boy out of the two of them struggling a bit to climb the rope he hand in hand as Jim just kept trying to push the redhead. "Just a few more inches, Tobes! That's all you need!"

"YOU DON'T THINK I'M TRYING HERE!"

"Oh, I know you're trying, but I also know you can be doing a lot more, dude!" I couldn't help but giggle at their exchange as I noted the joyous smile gracing the dark-haired boy's face.

"There goes Claire." I whipped my head toward Mary as she started snickering at her own unfinished comment. "Off in La La Land again." Shannon started laughing a lot a little as I gave them a half-hearted glare in reply before turning my attention back toward where Jim was. The taller boy was now squatted down to a little under Toby's height as he continued trying his best to motivate the other teen. His hands in his blue sweats as he seemingly kept himself balanced that way with ease. "Good Gods, does your S.M have abs of steel or some shit? How is he doing that?" I blushed at Mary's words and I turned instantly to smack the girl lightly in the shoulder before shushing her.

"Don't say shit like that!"

"What?! It's a valid question! He's a little skinny though so he might be a bit more on the lean side than anything but it makes ya question at the very least." I rolled my eyes at her as Shannon just glanced between the two of us with a smile on her face.

"Is looks everything you care about, Mar?"

"Hey, having a good-looking soulmate is a bonus ya know." Shannon just shook her head at us as she just giggled in reply.

"If Claire wants to stare off at her soulmate like she would when we were freshmen, then I see no problem with it." I shot a glare at Shannon now as Mary just laughed wholeheartedly.

"YES! Shan is on my side! Hell fucking yeah!"

"You're both dead to me."

"Hey, have you noticed by the way that Jim's not wearing his compression sleeve? Is that the arm his marking is on?" I gave Shannon a confused look before glancing toward the boy in question. His right arm that would normally be covered with a wrapping or a black compression sleeve when it came to gym class was now being shown off for the world to see. His Shakespearan skull marking being showcased as if it was a painting on display as he helped his now fallen friend from the floor.

_Did he-?_

I felt a confused look take over my face as I watched him smile once more.

_Did he use to hide it on purpose?_

* * *

I held out my right hand toward Tobes at I tried my best to give him a soft smile. The scene unfolding being really similar to the one earlier today in gym class.

"Seems like today is just filled with you falling all over the place, huh?" I smirked at Toby as he just gave me a half-hearted glare.

"Yeah yeah yeah, don't make me feel worse for only making it up a few inches you fit fuck." I couldn't help but laugh at his remark as he took my hand with ease and allowed me to pull him back up to his feet. He gave me a confused look though as his eyes glanced down to my arm in question.

"Is something wrong there, Tobes?"

"You're not wearing your sleeve down. Just like you weren't wearing your compression sleeve earlier." Toby brought his gaze up to me as we dropped our hands back to our sides. My hands going into my jeans as I gave him a wide smile in reply. "You always wear your sleeve down, dude. Are you okay? Who are you and what have you done with my Jimbo?" I just chuckled in reply as I brought my right hand out of my sweats pocket so I could reach up and scratch the back of my neck nervously.

"It felt wrong wearing it, I guess? Like I was hiding a side of myself away. Like I was hiding Claire in a way."

"Well, you did hide it away because you were afraid of her knowing," Toby laughed a little as he dusted off his khakis with a smile. "I guess now you have nothing to hide. With her knowing about it and all."

"And the fact that I know my soulmate and Steve can fuck off with his teasing if I show it? Definitely a bonus." I gave him a large lopsided smile as I dropped my hand to my side once more. "Even then," I turned my forearm so that he could see it as I smiled down at the skull-based marking. "I can say it's a pretty cool one in comparison to most. Especially with Claire being the source behind it."

"Could be worse. Could have a legit fucking mole with a crown on its head."

"Oh yeah! Yours! I forgot about that!" I couldn't help but chuckle at Toby as he gave me a halfhearted glare.

"SHUSH! Don't need to get teased any more than I already am about the rope stuff from earlier!"

"Leave me alone!" I turned my head toward the direction of the new voice as both Toby and I tilted our heads at the noise.

"Aw, come on, buttsnack. Tell me the story one more time." I watched as Steve pushed a kid I knew by the name of Eli into the lockers behind him. "Come on, fucking _tell it!_ " Steve gave himself a proud smirk as the kid whimpered in reply. "Come on, Buttsnack. This time for the whole world to hear you." He looked hella proud of himself as he called the poor kid by his favorite term for kids like us in this school once more.

 _He's_ how old _and buttsnacks is the best he can come up with? Better yet, he's fucking proud of it? I know the stereotypes with jocks is the fact that they're not the brightest of the bulbs, but damn he only proves that they're like that for a reason._

"He just _loves_ to make a mess for those like us, doesn't he? Why can't he just leave us alone?" My mouth felt run dry as I watched the scene unfold.

_I've watched things like this happen every day for the past few years. Steve making fun of anyone who either hasn't found their soulmate or by harassing others on their pairing. One of the big reasons actually why I hid my marking for so long._

I looked down to my marking for a second before bringing my attention back up toward where the scene was taking place.

_I no longer desired for that, but it was one of the reasonings as to why. Can't make fun of someone's marking when they don't show it, after all._

I felt my hands curl into fists as I saw Eli hit the lockers once more before falling to the ground.

_But all because I could get away from it for so long, doesn't mean I should allow it with others, right?_

I grabbed my school bag strap from across my chest and lifted it up and over my head before dropping my bag to my right side.

_And now I have the chance to stop it myself. So why not?_

"Hey, Steve!"

"The hell are you doing?" I ignored Toby as I made my way over toward where Steve was standing.

"Leave him alone!" I made my way across to them as Steve just turned his attention toward me with a twisted smile.

"Well ain't it little Lamey Lake? Got a backbone finally, huh?" I stopped a few feet away from him as I tried my best to stay calm.

"Leave him alone, Steve." Steve just crossed his arms over his chest as he took a step closure to me.

"Or else what, huh? What are you going to do about it? Gonna cry to your soulmate? Oh wait, you don't got a mark, huh?" I instinctively rolled my sleeves up past where they were sitting at my elbows so that they were now sitting right under my bicep instead.

"Actually, I do." I showcased to him my right forearm for a second before dropping it down to my side. "But all because your's is stuck with a jerk for their other half doesn't mean the rest of us to have to deal with it."

"The fuck did you just say buttsnack?"

"I said," I swallowed hard as I kept my hands to my sides as I tried to hold my ground against the slightly taller boy. "All because your soulmate as to deal with your bullshit doesn't mean everyone else has to." I started to growl a little as I saw Eli out of the corner of my eye try his best to pick himself up from the ground. "All because you're gonna be stuck in a muffler shop wishing you did better with your life doesn't mean you have the right to go around fucking with other people and their matches to make yourself feel better." I gave him a snarl as I gestured to the boy behind him. "You don't know the troubles he's got? What happens if they're similar to yours huh? What would your S.M say if they saw you doing exactly what you're doing right now?"

"And why should I listen to you? Where's your room to talk? You _hide_ yours." Steve gave me a smirk as he tried to reach out for my right arm. "Let's see what kind of poor sap is stuck with your ass."

"Fuck off." I snatched my arm back and out of his grasp as I gave him a snarl. "What I do with my marking is my business. Hiding it from the likes of your ass who doesn't even seem content with having one. You make fun of those who don't have one or have some that make no sense to you, but you refuse to be happy with your own. It's as if you pity those that don't have to deal with it, huh?"

"THAT'S IT!" Steve reached out to grab me once more as I just jumped back a little. "Give me your arm, Lake!"

"Fuck off!" I hissed out the words as he lunged forward at me. Luckily, I was able to step aside fast enough to dodge him but the football player was notorious for his speed.

"Watch your fucking tongue, Lake!" I dodged a fist that he was flinging in my direction as I growled out my response.

"Bite me, Palchuk!"

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" The chants came from those around us, but it didn't bother my concentration. I continued to dodge the taller boy's attacks, luckily, but I was starting to get tired of it all. My speed slowed tremendously as I tried my best to keep my breath steady which allowed for Steve to grab me by the collar and wind his fist back.

"Good thing your mom's a nurse, Lake. She's gonna have to fix you up after I'm done!" I tried my best to squirm out of the taller boy's grasp, but it was no use. I tried to reach out and push him back but he somehow kept his grip on my shirt solid.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I really had to go on and run my mouth, huh?_

I closed my eyes shut as I waited for the punch to come.

_Good thing my mom's a doctor, huh?_

"Leave him alone, Palchuk!" My eyes shot open wide as both Steve and I whipped our heads toward the voice to see Claire standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. "Either let him go, or I swear to God I'll make you myself."

"Stay out of this, Nuñez." Steve glared at her before bringing his heated gaze back toward me. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Yes it does, actually." I watched as she came closer to us with a sterned look in her eye. "Now let him go. Or you're going to have to explain to all your friends on the football team why Claire Nuñez kicked your ass sideways." Her normally gentle features were filled with rage as she rolled up her blazer's sleeves.

_If there was one thing to note from this situation,_

I looked at Claire with wide eyes as I felt remarkably proud of the slightly shorter girl next to us.

_You don't fuck with Claire_ _Nuñez and you most definitely don't fuck with her soulmate._

"I can handle this, Claire." She turned her attention toward me as her angered features softened almost immediately as her voice came out a bit softer than what it was when she was speaking to Steve specifically.

"I'm your S.M, remember?" She whispered the words out toward me as her gaze kept itself on the now wide-eyed Steve. "I'm not gonna let you deal with shit like this alone."

"No fucking way." Steve would have dropped me to the floor if he was holding me any higher up, but I landed on my feet just fine as the boy just stared at Claire as if she had said something forbidden. "No. _F_ _ucking._ Way."

"Are you okay?" I gave Claire a sheepish smile as I brought my right hand up to scratch the back of my neck.

"I'm fine, Claire." I gave her a soft smile as she reached out to cup both sides of my face.

"You didn't _look_ fine."

"You've gotta be shitting me!" We both snapped our attention back toward the blonde who was now laughing like a mad man to himself at this point. "Jim _Lame_ is your soulmate? Of all people?" Steve just started laughing hysterically at this point as I turned my attention toward Claire to see her reaction. She was now glaring at the boy with the fire of a thousand suns as I instinctively reached up and placed my hands on hers that were still sitting on my cheeks.

"Claire." She turned her head toward me and instantly her features softened once more. "He's not worth it, alright?" She seemed to let out a breath she was holding as I rubbed the back of her hands with my thumbs.

"Yeah. You're right."

"You had to get saved from your fucking _soulmate_. Claire has to do your fighting _for you_." I watched Claire whip her attention back toward Steve as she muttered a reaction under her breath.

"God his face is punchable as hell at the moment." I just chuckled at her as I turned my attention toward Steve myself. My hands pulling Claire's down from my face as I gave him a soft smile.

"Hey, I'm proud of having someone like Claire. I would much rather have someone willing to help me in situations like this than anything else." I could feel Claire's eyes on me once more but I was much too afraid to see her response to my words just yet. "Behind every strong woman is a good S.M," I turned my head toward her as I gave her a bashful smile as I saw her gifting me with the softest look I had ever seen grace the punk's face. "Right?" She just gave me a smile as her fingers intertwined with mine.

"Now what in all that is holy is going on over here?" Claire and I both jumped as Coach Lawerance's voice could be heard in the distance.

"Nothing, sir." Claire jumped at the opportunity as she slipped her hands out of mine and gave all of her attention toward the PE teacher as she instantly went into action. "Just a little bit of discord is all. I believe we got it all under control now though." Coach Lawerance looked skeptical at first as he scanned the scene between all of us, but he seemed to take Claire's words as the truth as his gaze landed on Steve.

"If everything is all fine and dandy then, you should be getting your butt to practice. Now come on, the team is waiting." I was too busy giving Claire a proud smile as Steve followed Coach without a second thought. The crowd slowly dispursing as Claire turned her attention back toward me.

"I swear if he pulls that shit on you again, I will sock a motherfucker." I couldn't help but chuckle at her reply as she slipped her hands into her blazer pockets.

"Hey, we don't need you getting in trouble now, do we?" I smiled at her as I reached out to take her hands in mine once more. "Thank you though. Means a lot that you jumped in to help." She just gave me a soft smile as she made our fingers intertwine.

"I don't have a problem with it. You're my S.M. I'm _meant_ to help you."

"Doesn't mean you have to." I laughed a little as her smile just widened in reply. "You don't owe me anything. All because I'm your soulmate doesn't mean I deserve anything from you."

"And _that_ is why I don't mind it." I gave her a confused look as she continued. "You saying stuff like _that_ makes you something this world doesn't deserve, Lake." I blushed a little at her words as a new voice joined beside us.

"Sorry to break up the sweet scene," I turned my head toward Toby's voice to see that he was carrying my school bag for me. "But you kinda dropped this, dude." I dropped my hands from Claire's as I took my bag from him with a smile.

"Thanks, man."

"Anytime, dude." Toby gave me a proud smile before turning his attention toward the punk before me. "Nice to actually speak to you, by the way. The name's Toby. Guess we'll be seeing each other a lot more since we share a favorite idiot." I shot Toby a half-hearted glare as Claire just laughed a little in reply.

"Nice to meet, Toby. Nice to see my idiot's got a friend watching out for him." I looked over toward Claire as gave her a fake broken-hearted look.

"Not you too." Claire just laughed wholeheartedly at my reply as I noted how _beautiful_ it was.

_What did I do in my past life to deserve someone like this? Someone that is willing to put everything on the line just to make sure I'm okay. Someone that can both laugh like an angel and spread fear like a demon._

I felt a lopsided smile take over my face as Claire started talking with Toby with relative ease. The both of them starting to hit it off with ease over both seemingly bonding over me being their favorite idiot.

_Someone that is quickly becoming my whole world._

I felt her left hand take my right with ease as the three of us started making our way out of the school together.

_And it's starting to feel like that it has more than just destiny at play._


End file.
